Chapter 205
After all, Anais knew deep down that she had wronged Mira.
When they last met, both kids disagreed, but the two of them secretly discussed and tried to set up James and Kaia.
Now James was getting married to Sophia instead, so Anais really had no way to explain this to Mira.
Aiden was preparing the invitations when he noticed Anais wasn't answering her phone and seemed hesitant. He found it really strange.
"What's going on with you? Why aren't you answering? I can hear the phone's been ringing for quite a while."
Anais looked up awkwardly. Though she really dragged her feet, she eventually answered the call.
As soon as the call connected, Mira's angry voice came through.
"Anais, is this how you handle things? Weren't you the one who suggested having Kaia and James meet to see if they hit it off? How long has it been, and now James is getting married?"
Anais felt embarrassed and quickly tried to explain.
"I was just about to explain this to you. Please don't be angry. Actually, I was kept in the dark about this too. I had no idea James already had a girl he liked. If I'd known he had a girlfriend, why would I have set him up with Kaia in the first place?"
Mira was furious.
"Anais, this is wrong of you. No matter what, James is your son. Doesn't his own mother know whether he has a girlfriend or not? I think your family's behavior is really disgusting."
Although Anais was in the wrong, hearing someone criticize her like this still bothered James.
James stepped forward, his tone humble.
"Mrs. Collins, this is my fault. Please don't blame my mother."
Sophia looked up and studied Kaia. This was her third time seeing Kaia, who was indeed beautiful.
Kaia stood quietly beside Mira, letting her mother fight for her over the phone.
Sophia didn't know what Kaia was thinking, but from Mira's phone conversation, Sophia could tell that things had become a mess because of her appearance.
Sophia walked forward, looking apologetic.
"I'm sorry, Kaia. If you're going to blame anyone, blame me."
Kaia was slightly startled. She turned to look at Sophia, somewhat confused.
She did find it strange—Sophia clearly disliked James before, so how did they suddenly end up getting married?
This whole thing seemed fishy.
Kaia shook her head, her expression calm.
"Romance is normal. James and I have no feelings for each other. We've only met a few times. My mother is making a fuss now just to get some justice, nothing more."
Hearing this, Sophia suddenly felt that Kaia was different from other girls.
If this had happened to any other girl, she would have blown up by now. But Kaia was so calm at this moment.
After saying this, Kaia turned and gently tugged at her mother's sleeve.
"Mom, stop making a scene. Mr. Smith and I have no relationship to begin with. It's normal for him to get married. We've only met a few times. I'm nothing to him."
Mira was still indignant.
"Kaia, how can you think like that? The Smith family clearly thinks they're powerful and can bully us however they want."
James did feel bad about this. Before he could say anything, Anais spoke up on the other end of the phone.
"Kaia, I'm the one who wronged you. I just wanted you and James to get to know each other, but I didn't expect this brat to have a girlfriend behind my back. I'll come apologize to you in person another day, okay?"
Kaia took the phone directly, a slight smile on her face.
"Mrs. Smith, that's really not necessary. It's fine. James and I were just going along with what you parents wanted anyway, so Mrs. Smith, please don't feel guilty."
The more understanding Kaia was, the more Sophia felt she was special.
Anais on the other end of the phone was thrilled to hear this.
"Kaia, you're so wonderful. I'm so happy you understand how I feel. You and your mother must come visit sometime. I'll make the best food to welcome you."
After hanging up, Mira was still sulking. She glared at Kaia and said coldly, "Kaia, what's wrong with you? The Smith family is clearly playing us, and you're not even angry?"
Actually, Kaia knew that when Anais invited them to dinner before, she was just using them as pawns to test whether James truly loved Sophia.
But now it was a done deal. There was nothing to be angry about, especially since they couldn't match the Smith family's power.
She couldn't break up James and Sophia's marriage. The Smith family was so powerful that if she really went against them, James wouldn't let her family off easy.
So blessing James and Sophia now was the smartest choice. But this whole thing did make Kaia realize that James had real appeal.
A cold, ruthless man like him could actually be so devoted to one woman?
Kaia hadn't been interested in James before, but seeing how loyal he was to Sophia sparked some interest in her.
"Mom, James and I have no relationship to begin with. This is actually better—it saves me from constantly making excuses to you. Now that James has a wife, we should give our blessings. That's the proper attitude and way to handle this."
Hearing this, Mira calmed down. Looking at Kaia's composed manner, she suddenly felt her daughter was so classy and noble.
So she took a deep breath and slowly calmed down.
"Kaia, you're right. Even if we can't marry into the Smith family, we're still from good families. We can still be friends in the future."
Hearing them say this, James also breathed a sigh of relief.
He didn't want their first wedding photo shoot to be ruined by something like this.